Solid state optical materials, such as for example the solid state laser materials or non-linear optical materials, are usually interesting for several reasons. They can, for instance, come in small sizes, can withstand high intensities on a spot, can be manufactured in high quantities, and are easy to handle because they are solid (in comparison to, for example, liquid dyes or gases). However, in some cases these materials do not live for extended times when being exposed to a certain light intensity. This can occur, for example, when a nonlinear crystal is used for frequency-converting the laser light, whereby the laser beam is usually focused onto a small spot or has high peak powers. Similarly, semiconductors may show long-term degradation effects which can limit the time of use of semiconductor materials when exposed to a certain intensity on a spot. Any kind of other optical elements may suffer from similar effects. The goal of this invention is to use up all or a substantial fraction of the available material and not only the material at a certain spot in the material. Instead of moving the material transversely with regard to the incident light beam and thereby moving the light spot to another position inside the material, a very simple technique to move the spot on the material is described herein; this technique allows the use of different spots on the material.
As for the holder for optical components, the goal is to make simple, easy-to-manufacture, and easy-to-use holders for optical components. Of special interest are optical holders for laser mirrors which are cost-effective, use a minimum of adjusters while still allowing for a certain degree of adjustability.